For a man who credits Shane Warne with saving his career, it's little wonder that England new boy Michael Carberry is in a spin.

Just four years ago Carberry was planning to quit cricket for good. Now he's preparing to fill the boots of England captain Andrew Strauss in Bangladesh next month.

Carberry's call-up completes an amazing change of fortune for a man who looked to be heading for cricket's scrapheap after leaving his second county Kent.

But after being rejuvenated under the captaincy of Warne at Hampshire, Carberry now finds himself within an ace of a Test debut - and ultimately a crack at the Aussies later this year.

Carberry said: "There was a point towards the back end of 2005 when I became very frustrated with constantly getting the door shut in my face.

"I looked at my Kent career and I left there averaging over 40, but it just got to point when I had done pretty much everything that had been asked of me, but still wasn't getting the chance to play.

"I came home pretty dejected, talked to the people that were close to me and just said, 'I think I've reached the end'.

"I was starting to look at a career outside the game - I was 24 at the time and I knew that if you haven't made it by the age of 25 then life becomes a lot harder.

"I started looking at various courses to go into - I really needed some more options."

Fortunately for Carberry, his mum and the former England quickie Alex Tudor - a man he describes as his "surrogate brother" - talked him round.

After being snapped up in 2006 by Hampshire, then captained by Warne, Carberry hasn't needed to think about a life outside the game since.

Carberry said: "The first person to take a lot of the credit is Shane Warne. He was the person who backed me in the first instance.

"When we first met he saw me play and was obviously impressed with what I could do and he just backed me to the hilt through the good times and the not-so-good.

"He has always encouraged me to play with freedom and express myself a bit more.

"I don't think my game has changed too much - I just try to keep things simple."

Now Strauss's decision to rest up offers him the perfect chance to press his claims for a regular slot over the next 12 months.

The Hampshire ace was called up as cover to the injured Paul Collingwood before England's thrilling draw in the third Test in Cape Town.

With both Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott struggling for form in the country of their birth, a successful time over in Bangladesh could well see Carberry leapfrog the competition. And with Australia lying in wait he is desperate to prove his worth - and show Warne just what he's capable of doing.

Carberry said: "I had a chat with Andrew Strauss who told me that there was a good chance he might have a rest, so there was obviously a window of opportunity.

"The Ashes is another goal that I'm looking to strive for. I'd love to go to Australia but the hard work starts now."

And now his chance has come, it's not a challenge that Carberry is likely to shirk.